"Some Muslims often cross the religious divide - under the cover of darkness - from the Sharia part of Kano to Sabon Gari for dancing, alcohol and sex." But not for long, if the religious police have any say in the matter.
By Senan Murray for BBC News (thanks to Twostellas):
The Sharia police, or Hisbah, say they will soon commence raids in an enclave in northern Nigeria's ancient Muslim city of Kano - dubbed by locals as "pleasure island".The Hisbah have given themselves the task of enforcing morals and Islamic law in the city but so far, have largely left Sabon Gari, or New Town, alone, complete with its bars, brothels and night-clubs.
But they say they must stamp out such "sinfulness" in case it "pollutes" the rest of the city.
Sabon Gari has always been a district populated by "settlers" or non-Muslim southern traders and professionals who have settled and worked in Kano.
But after years of ethnic and religious violence, much of Kano's small Christian population withdrew further to Sabon Gari to seek safety in numbers.
This has resulted in a peaceful co-existence between residents of the area and the rest of the city.
Sabon Gari also happens to be one of Kano's biggest ghettos, with blocked sewers, gullied streets and piles of rubbish on almost every street corner.
Cannabis is also openly smoked in this part of the city and pipe-born water is even rarer than in the rest of Kano.
'Open secret'
Kano is among a dozen states in northern Nigeria practising Sharia law, despite initial strong opposition from the federal government, Christians and human rights groups.
More than a dozen Muslims have been sentenced to death by stoning for sexual offences like adultery and homosexuality since the Sharia legal system was introduced in 2000.
Many others have been sentenced to flogging for drinking alcohol.
Two petty thieves have also had their hands amputated - but no death sentences have so far been carried out.
The BBC News website learnt that some Muslims often cross the religious divide - under the cover of darkness - from the Sharia part of Kano to Sabon Gari for dancing, alcohol and sex.
"I often bring many of them here at night to drink," says Mohammed, a taxi driver in the city.
"It's an open secret, my brother. The code is thou shall not be caught," he says with a knowing smile.
Mohammed wouldn't say whether he also makes the nocturnal pilgrimage to the city's pleasure island.
"As long as no-one sees you, you remain a good Muslim and the Hisbah can't come after you."
Is the inference here that the rest of Kano is some sort of utopia?
...can a religious police siege be far behind?....
"The Sharia police, or Hisbah..."
-- from the article above, discussing the the Religious Policemen [Nigerian version]
"Come weez me to zee Kasbah...." [Pepe le Moko, 1932]
"Come with me - yallah, yallah -- to the Hisbah...." [spoil-sporting mutawwa agent, amost anywhere at all in Dar al-Islam, dragging away some would-be revellers, 2007]
"You! Come with me!" [Turkish Sergeant to Major T.E. Lawrence, Deraa, Transjordan, 1917]
I dunno what the problem is!?!?! sounds like a good night out to me, maybe all muslims should try it, they'd be able to call it apostate city after a very short time!! hahaha
"We need to distinguish between the law of bloodmoney and the of executions carried out after the death sentence has been passed. The first is a right the Sharia recognises to the victims, while the second is a law wanted by men", Najafabad said.
From Iran: Death by stoning a 'wise measure'
"It's an open secret, my brother. The code is thou shall not be caught," he says with a knowing smile.
"As long as no-one sees you, you remain a good Muslim and the Hisbah can't come after you."
"...while the second is a law wanted by men"
Apparently not.
"I often bring many of them here at night to drink," says Mohammed, a taxi driver in the city.
Funny-in the ummah, Muslim cabbies have no problem with carrying riders either coming or going to get loaded yet in the West this is a big problem for them. Go figure.
ISL,
Good point. It takes "Do as I say, not as I do" to a whole new level.
...if I were a sinning Muslim, I am not sure I would trust a Muslim cabbie to keep secrets....
"As long as no-one sees you, you remain a good Muslim and the Hisbah can't come after you."
By this functional definition, Islam is not a matter of personal conscience but merely of external compulsion. Anyone can be a good Moslem provided there is some willing soul able to club you about the head and shoulders to be so. And fortunately there is no shortage of such willing souls.
Whewww! What a relief! Just when I was worried that I'd have to depend upon my own conscience!
"Funny-in the ummah, Muslim cabbies have no problem with carrying riders either coming or going to get loaded yet in the West this is a big problem for them. Go figure.
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS "
...silly wrabbit, good Muslim cab service applies only to Muslims.....
I think I'll convert-one isn't sinning unless you're actually caught-you can't beat that! Yup, I'm signing up for the religion of hypocrisy right now, even if the Koran does frown upon hypocrisy.
"As long as no-one sees you, you remain a good Muslim and the Hisbah can't come after you."
More proof that Allah is a nothing even in the minds of believing Muslims.
Inference: "Because even Allah can't see your deeds, silly kafir."
I have wondered the same about Dubai.
Here you have a country to caters to booze, sex, drugs. Geez, it was so attractive that Michael Jackson went there for the kids. There is no paparazzi, it is banned.
The one thing you do have going there are the wealthy of Western countries. Where they can booze it up, have unaccountable sex, even internationally illegal child sex, and drugs.
The religous police are not seen.
It would make a great movie. Where it works just like the Nazi's did leading up to WWII. Give people things that get them hooked, probably video tape it and then later use it against them to get them to do the things that they want.
Hey, the left has their conspiracy theories, why can't we.
"Funny-in the ummah, Muslim cabbies have no problem with carrying riders either coming or going to get loaded yet in the West this is a big problem for them. Go figure."
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS July 17, 2007 11:00 AM
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Kinda makes you think the whole point is to annoy the kufr/kaffir/khufr - anyway, us Infidels. (To annoy us in our own, free, non-Islamic, country; which these blistering bigots want to come to because "ain't nobody here going to kill me for not being Islamic enough, besides they give ya money if you can't afford all your kids".)
Who in Washington can we petition for "NO MORE MUSLIM IMMIGRATION" ?
Hippocrites all. But then again, what Muslim isn't? Or is this an example of "Islam Lite"? Great God, Less angry?
"Islamophobes of the world, Unite!"
"Stop Muslim immigration now!"
A_Plague_on_Both_Houses
"More proof that Allah is a nothing even in the minds of believing Muslims.:
Well said. Even Muslims admit that Allah isn't all-knowing.
Whatever Allah may be, it's not G-d.When our son spent some time in Bahrain, he explained that when Muslims are in Bahrain, Allah can't see them acting naughty. Bahrain thrives on providing the gambling, drinking, etc., that the pious ones can't get at home.
Muslims claim they believe that Jesus is a prophet but they must have missed when He said "go and sin no more". Heaven help a poor sinner caught by the religious police.
Another example of Islam as a mismosh of confused thinking, cruelty, and hypocrisy masquerading as religion.
Pray for millions of them in the chains of Islam to see and know the truth.
A_Plague_on_Both_Houses
"More proof that Allah is a nothing even in the minds of believing Muslims.:
Well said. Even Muslims admit that Allah isn't all-knowing.
Whatever Allah may be, it's not G-d.When our son spent some time in Bahrain, he explained that when Muslims are in Bahrain, Allah can't see them acting naughty. Bahrain thrives on providing the gambling, drinking, etc., that the pious ones can't get at home.
Muslims claim they believe that Jesus is a prophet but they must have missed when He said "go and sin no more". Heaven help a poor sinner caught by the religious police.
Another example of Islam as a mismosh of confused thinking, cruelty, and hypocrisy masquerading as religion.
Pray for millions of them in the chains of Islam to see and know the truth.
NavyMom - believe it or not I do pray for the hundreds of millions. Sometimes I pray for the billion.
I pray for your kid(s) in the Navy too.
When I do I'm reminded of the poor bastard who had a sick kid and asked Jesus to 'do what you can.' My faith is weak but unfortunately my resolve grows stronger every day - it has to.
To paraphrase a medieval Scot:
I will not be ruled by sharia of any sort, nor will any American, as long as I live.
So help me God. Be Prepared.
But I do ask that it never comes to what I see late at night when I'm alone with my thoughts. I hope I'm just being dramatic or too "analytical".
Navy Mom - on July 5th I stood on the gun deck of the USS Constitution and did this same soliloquy in my head. May God see fit to protect and defend the United States and those who would defend her. Let's hope it's not a tragedy in the end.